Nearly One Year Since The Mass Shooting At The Kansas City Chiefs Victory Parade, Louisiana Allows Guns In “French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone” 

NEW ORLEANS, La. — As we approach the one-year mark of the tragic mass shooting that took place in Kansas City during the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade, where one person was shot and killed and another 22 people were injured, the Louisiana Law Enforcement announced Super Bowl security measures ahead of Super Bowl LIX, which will be hosted in New Orleans. The enhanced security measures for the “French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone” included a prohibition on coolers and ice chests following the terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s where 14 people were killed and 57 injured, which ended in a shootout with police. Notably, the concealed carry of firearms will still be allowed. 

The announcement to allow the concealed carry of firearms in the “French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone” follows years of Louisiana lawmakers consistently putting the gun lobby ahead of public safety. However, firearms will still be prohibited in bars, casinos, government buildings, along parade routes, inside the Caesars Superdome and within the NFL’s designated security perimeter. Despite having the second-highest rate of gun deaths in the country, state lawmakers have not strengthened their gun safety laws and instead worked to put more firearms into communities– even though we know that more guns don’t make us safer. 

Just last year, Governor Jeff Landry signed a measure into law that repealed the state’s concealed carry permit requirement, which involved critical safety training and a background check. Now, law enforcement has lost a vital tool to ensure a person carrying a gun in public isn’t a criminal with a dangerous history, leading law enforcement officials in New Orleans and across other states like Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina to criticize permitless carry. 

The impact of the state’s weak gun laws are felt especially in the city of New Orleans and residents continue to bear the brunt of a culture of gun violence crafted by state policies. In recent years, a quarter of all gun homicide deaths in Louisiana have occurred in New Orleans. Louisiana is among the 40 states that have a firearm preemption law which limits cities wracked with gun violence from adopting their own range of gun laws tailored to local conditions – instead tying the hands of local officials who want to save lives in their cities. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and local New Orleans lawmakers remain committed to the fight against gun violence, but are held back by extremists in the state legislature. 

What’s more, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court – which has jurisdiction over Louisiana – recently ruled that the federal law prohibiting federally-licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to individuals under age 21 is unconstitutional in Reese v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens, and 18-to-20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 and over, according to FBI statistics. 

In the face of inaction at the state level, local leaders have turned to community violence intervention organizations, who spearhead life-saving work, providing a localized approach to addressing gun violence in the city’s hardest hit communities. 

Louisiana has the 2nd-highest rate of gun deaths and the 2nd-highest rate of gun injuries in the U.S. In an average year, 1,207 people die and 3,345 are wounded by guns in Louisiana. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Louisiana. More information about gun violence in Louisiana is available here.

If you are interested in speaking with a Louisiana Moms Demand Action or Students Demand volunteer, or a policy expert please reach out to [email protected].